equipment on one circuit breaker?

lifeform

Member
Hi, can anyone give me some suggestions on how they would connect all of my equipment? How many power strips to use? I have one dedicated GFCI outlet on a 15amp circuit breaker in the house main electrical panel. Here is a list of my equipment:
2- Quiet One 6000 pumps
3- 150watt de metal halides on electronic ballasts
2- Icecap 660 ballast running 4 T5HO
1/4 hp chiller
bubble king mini 180 skimmer
25watt uv
heater
2-oceans motions 2way squirt
litermeter3 for auto topoff and dosing
2-Tunze 6101
2- Tunze 6055
ph monitor
phos reactor
R2 solutions dual moonlights
clip on compact flourescent light for refugium
Can my 15amp circuit breaker handle all of this equipment, does anyone have this amount of equipment on one circuit breaker? Thanks
 

mojo46825

Member
Originally Posted by lifeform
http:///forum/post/2629510
Hi, can anyone give me some suggestions on how they would connect all of my equipment? How many power strips to use? I have one dedicated GFCI outlet on a 15amp circuit breaker in the house main electrical panel. Here is a list of my equipment:
2- Quiet One 6000 pumpsPull 140 watts each=280 watts
3- 150watt de metal halides on electronic ballasts =450 watts
2- Icecap 660 ballast running 4 T5HO = i am assuming that these are 54 watt bulbs roughly 220 watts
1/4 hp chiller
bubble king mini 180 skimmer aprox 20 watts from wht I can see
25watt uv
heater 300 watt +
2-oceans motions 2way squirt
litermeter3 for auto topoff and dosing
2-Tunze 6101
2- Tunze 6055
ph monitor
phos reactor
R2 solutions dual moonlights
clip on compact flourescent light for refugium probably another 20 watts or so
Can my 15amp circuit breaker handle all of this equipment, does anyone have this amount of equipment on one circuit breaker? Thanks
So adding this all up you might be able to get it to work unitl your heater kicked on. It is not good to run your circuit under that much load all the time. You should put in another circuit. P=IxV power = amps times voltage.
power is = watts.
so the max wattage on a 15 amp circuit would be
P=15amps x 120 volts
1800watts. I would not reccomend running more than half of that constantly and definately not more than 75% of that all the time. I hope that helps some. if it is any way confusing let me know and i ll be sure to help clear it up.
 

nordy

Active Member
Agree-you would really be pushing that 15 amp circuit. Even if the load is a little less than the max rating for that breaker it's not a good idea to run close to the limit. To up grade that circuit would involve pulling new cable for a 20 amp circuit which even then would be close.
One thing to consider though is that your heater and chiller, two of your biggest loads, will not be running at the same time.
 

al mc

Active Member
Also agree...IMHO there is no way that a single 15 amp circuit can handle all that equipment. Options: Pull another line that has a GFCIU breaker or tap into another circuit and put a GFCI outlet on that tapped into circuit.
 

lifeform

Member
Ok, I will run another line, half of the equipment on one circuit and the other half on another. Thanks.
 

icebreaker

Member
what size wire did you run from the panel to the new receptacle? if you ran #12 wire you can replace the 15A breaker with a 20A breaker, if you only ran #14 wire your stuck with the 15A breaker.
 

lifeform

Member
I ran #12 wire. Do you think it would be necessary to change the 15amp breaker to a 20amp? I'm putting half of the equipment on one breaker and the other half on the other. Thanks
 

al mc

Active Member
Originally Posted by lifeform
http:///forum/post/2633590
I ran #12 wire. Do you think it would be necessary to change the 15amp breaker to a 20amp? I'm putting half of the equipment on one breaker and the other half on the other. Thanks
Probably not necessary. But, if the 15 amp breaker keeps 'breaking' at least you know you could put in a 20 amp since you used 12 wire. I know you know this...but if the breaker is not GFCI, then the outlet should be.
 
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